Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
The attributes of Allah Almighty subsist in Him and are not independent entities separate from Him that benefit or harm by themselves. Therefore, it is not permissible to believe that an attribute, considered separately from Allah, possesses an independent ability to bring benefit or cause harm.
As for seeking refuge in Allah’s might or His words, this is prescribed because it is seeking refuge in Allah, who is described by these attributes. Likewise, the Qur’an benefits and intercedes by Allah’s permission because it is the speech of Allah, and because Allah has placed guidance, healing, and blessing in it. Thus, all benefit ultimately comes from Allah Almighty.
The attributes of Allah, such as knowledge, mercy, might, and speech, subsist in Allah Almighty and are not separate from Him.
There is not, in reality, a divine mercy independent of Allah, an independent divine might, or divine speech existing by itself separately from the One who speaks it.
Therefore, imagining an attribute as though it were an independent entity that hears, responds, benefits, and harms by itself is incorrect.
A distinction should be made between calling upon the attribute itself and calling upon Allah and seeking nearness to Him by means of one of His attributes.
For example, one should not say, “O mercy of Allah, forgive me,” or “O might of Allah, save me,” while believing that mercy or might is an independent entity that hears the supplication and responds to it, because the One who is called upon is Allah Almighty.
However, a person may say: “O Allah, I ask You by Your mercy,” or seek refuge in Allah’s might and His words. This is prescribed because, in reality, he is asking Allah and seeking refuge in Allah, who possesses these attributes.
For this reason, the Sunnah contains examples of seeking refuge in Allah’s attributes, such as His might and His perfect words.
The Qur’an is the uncreated speech of Allah, and Allah’s speech is one of His attributes.
Nevertheless, it is correct to say that the Qur’an benefits its companion because the revealed texts establish many great effects for it, including guidance, healing, blessing, reward, and intercession for its companions on the Day of Resurrection.
This does not mean that the Qur’an is something independent of Allah that possesses benefit and harm by itself.
Rather, the benefit of the Qur’an can be understood from two perspectives:
First: It is the speech of Allah, and benefit fundamentally comes from Allah, who spoke it.
Second: Allah has made the Qur’an a means of guidance, healing, reward, and blessing, just as He creates other causes through which benefit occurs by His permission.
Thus, Allah is the One who truly grants benefit, and He is the One who has placed this goodness and benefit in His speech.
According to the fatwa, whoever believes that one of Allah’s attributes is an independent entity separate from Him that hears, responds, benefits, and harms by itself has adopted a false belief that contradicts the true nature of Allah’s attributes and His Oneness.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Barrak stated that calling upon the attribute itself is not prescribed because it involves imagining the attribute as something independent of Allah that hears and responds, whereas the reality is that Allah’s attributes subsist in Him, and Allah with His attributes is one God. He alone is the One who is called upon, worshipped, and hoped in.
Here, a distinction must be made between judging a belief or statement in itself and judging a specific individual. Passing judgment on a particular person is subject to conditions and principles well known to the scholars.
Allah’s attributes are not independent entities separate from Him such that they could be said to benefit or harm by themselves. Allah Almighty is the One who brings benefit and causes harm, and His attributes subsist in Him and are inseparable from Him.
It is permissible to seek refuge in Allah’s might, His words, and similar attributes where this is established in Islamic teachings, because this is seeking refuge in Allah, who possesses these attributes.
Likewise, it is correct to say that the Qur’an benefits, intercedes, and heals by Allah’s permission because Allah has placed benefit and blessing in His speech. Thus, benefit, from beginning to end, comes from Allah Almighty.
And Allah knows best.